Umbrella-stick.



P. FRANTZ.

UMBRELLA STICK. I ICATION FILED JAN.19 ms.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER FRANTZ, on STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR Io LAWRENCE c. THORNE, or" STERLING, ILLINOIS.

UMBRELLA-STICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aunec, 1916.

Application filed January 19, 1915. Serial No; 3,026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER FRANTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Sterling, \Vhiteside county, Illinois (residential address 309 Ninth avenue), haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Umbrella-Sticks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to umbrellas of that kind in which the stick is composed of telescoping sections. Umbrella sticks of this kind are employed in various ways, sometimes in combination with telescoping ribs, and in some cases with ribs of the ordinary form. In any event, however, the telescoping of the stick serves to shorten the umbrella. This is done in order that the umbrella may be carried in a suit case or satchel, or for some similar purpose.

The object of my invention is to provide a telescoping stick having a strong and simple construction, and having such a construction that the upper section of the stick may be telescoped within the handle of the stick, and the tip-sectionwithin the handlesection, whereby the stick may be reduced to minimum length in a satisfactory and convenient manner without removing the handle and tip thereof.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combiparticular character, and which will tend to render the same more satisfactory and desir-' able than heretofore.

To these and other usefulends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. r

In the accompanying 'dra'wingsFigure 1 is a longitudinal section of an umbrella stick embodying the principles of my invention, showing the same in extended condition. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but on a larger scale, and showing the stick in telescoped condition. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section on line 44 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isan enlarged section online 55 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a similar section on line 66 in Fig. 2.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a handle section A provided with a handle a, a tip section B, an upper section C, and a top notch D on the upper section, the

vided on the lower ends of thetip and up-' per sections to limit their upward movement when the stick is extended. The tip section is provided with, a spring latch or catch 6 which engages the upper end of the upper section to hold the two sections in extended condition. The upper section is provided with a spring catch c which engages the upper end of thehandle section to hold these twosections in extended condition. It Wlll be understood that the catches b and 0 can be pressed inward to unlock the sec-n tions when it is desired 'to telescope the st ck. When entirely telescoped, the section G moves downward to such an extent that the lower end thereof is well within the handle a; on the lower end of the stick. The tip section B has a tip 12 which limits its downward movement within the upperv section. As shown,'the top notch D comprises a collar (Z fixed on the upper end of the upper section and provided with notches for the ribs of the umbrella. Said collar has a recess d which receives and telescopes over the upper end of the handle section C when the sections are telescoped. In this way said top notch servesas a stop for the end of the handle section;

Y Therunner E is provided with a spring catch 6 which operates through an opening 6 in the side of the runner, and which is adapted to engage an opening 6 in the side of the handle section A when the runner is moved downward to lower the umbrella. In this way the'runner is locked in its lowermost position, when the umbrella is lowered. The spring catch 6 is tensioned to move away from saidopening e when the sleeve whichsurrounds the runner is moved upward. ,When the said sleeve 6 is moved downward,-as in lowering the umbrella, the

spring catch 6 is thereby given-a tension which causes it to enter the opening :6 as

' soon as this point is reached; Thus the interior of the handle section is entirely free holding the runner in lowered position being on the runner itself instead of in the handle section of the stick. Consequently, as previously explained, the upper section C is free to move downward until its lower end is inside of the handle, inasmuch as the handle section has a perfectly free and unobstructed bore.

To lock the runner in raised position, the upper section is provided with a spring catch F which is inclosed therein near the upper end thereof and arranged to work through a slot 7 in one side of the stick. This spring catch has a notch f and a cam portion f it being observed that the portion 6 of the runner enters said notch to hold the umbrella in raised position. At such time the cam portion f projects through the slot 6 in the side of the runner, and the portion 6 of said runner engages the notch of the catch F, whereby the sleeve 6 'of the runner is held in raised position thereon. When it is desired to lower the umbrella, the operator grasps the sleeve 6 and pulls it downward, thereby causing the portion e to engage the cam f and thus force the catch F inward and out of engagement with the runner As the runner is pulled downward the sleeve 6 retains the spring catch 6 under tension and in such condition that it drops into the opening 6 assoon as the runner reaches the limit of its downward movement. To raise the umbrella, the operator grasps the sleeve 6 and moves it up ward, thus releasing the catch 6 from the opening 6 and thereby allowing the runner to slide upward.

To telescope the stick, all that is necessary is to simply press the catches Z) and c in ward, thus releasing the sections and allowing them to telescope one within the other as shown in Fig. 2. If telescoping ribs d are employed, of any suitable character, then the runner E will occupy approximately the position shown in Fig. 2 when the umbrella is entirely folded or collapsed. Any well known rib construction canbe used for thus positioning the runner on the handle section, and against the handle, when the stick is telescoped. Thus the handle provides a shoulder for the runner to move the latter toward the top notch in collapsing and folding the umbrella. The said runner has its upper end provided with notches for the braces G which may also be of any suitable known or approved character. To extend the stick the operator simply grasps the handle a in one hand and the tip Z2 in the other hand and pulls the sections into their extended positions to'cause the stick to assume the length necessary for use.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the stick is reduced to minimum length without removal of either the handle or the tip thereof, the upper section C of the stick telescoping within the handle, and the tip section B telescoping within the upper end portion of the handle-section, as well as within the upper end portion of the said upper section C, the various spring catches, more especially the spring catch F and the spring catch 6, being provided as arranged and shown and described to permit this telescoping of the upper section and tip-section entirely within the handle-section. And, in addition, as previously explained, the top-notch D telescopes over the upper end of the handlesection, in the manner shown and described, thereby not only gaining something in the reduction of the length of the stick, but also strengthening the upper end of the umbrella when entirely telescoped and folded. Furthermore, the sleeve 6 serves as a handle for raising and lowering the umbrella, and serves also to operate the spring catch F by a downward pull on the runner, as well as for releasing the catch 6 by pushing the runner upward, thus making the release of the runner entirely automatic in both the upper and intermediate positions thereof, the. said runner having its lowest position located some distance below the said intermediate position. Thus, also, the umbrella can be very much shortened by simply telescoping the stick enough to bring the runner down against the handle, and to bring the tip-section entirely within the upper section. And, when thus partially shortened, the ribs will not be telescoped and the handle-section will'not have its upper end disposed within the top-notch to which the ribs are attached. But, in any event, when the stick is entirely telescoped, both the upper section and the tip-section thereof are entirely within the handle-section, and the said upper section is partially within the handle, thus reducing the stick in minimum length without removal of any of the parts thereof.

The catch f on the locking device F serves, it will be understood, to limit the upward movement of the runner on the stick. The flange or rib e on the lower end of said runner engages the lower end of the sleeve 6 to limit the downward motion of the latter. Furthermore, the top-notch D, by engaging both the upper end of the handle-section A and the tip 6 as shown n F 1g. 2, serves to limit the entire telescoplng operation, so that the lower end of the tip-section does not engage anything, and so that the lower end of the upper section C does not engage anything, the said topnotch serving as a stopto limit the entire operation.

.What I claim as my invention is 2- 1. An umbrella comprising a stick, a runner on said stick, a spring catch on said runner, means on the lower portion of said stick to engage said catch, a spring locking device in the upper portion of said stick, means on said runner to engage said device, a sliding sleeve covering the catch on said runner, means on said sleeve to operate said catch, a cam on said device, and means on said sleeve to engage said cam.

2. An umbrella comprising a stick, a run ner on said stick, a spring catch on said runner, means on the lower portion .of said stick to engage said catch, a spring locking device in the upper portion of said stick, means on said runner to engage said device, a sliding sleeve covering the catch on said runner, means on saidsleeve to operate said catch, a cam on said device, and means on said sleeve to engage said cam, said stick having telescoping sections, and means on the end of one section to engage said cam.

8. An umbrella comprising a stick, a runner on said stick, a spring catch on said runner, means on the lower portion of said stick to engage said catch, a spring locking device in the upper portion of said stick,-

means on said runner to engage said device, a sliding sleeve covering the catch on said runner, means on said sleeve to operate said catch, a cam on said device, and means on said sleeve to engage said cam, said device having means to limit the upward motion of said runner, and said runner having means at its lower end to limit the downward motion of said sleeve thereon.

4. An umbrella stick comprising a tubular handle-section, a tubular tip-section, a tubular upper section directly engaging both the handle-section and the tip-section, all three sections telescoping together to reduce the stick to minimum length without removal of the handle and tip thereof, and to bring practically the entire length of the tip-section and the upper section within the handle-section, a top-notch fixed on the upper end of the upper section to slide upward on the tip-section, a runner to slide on.the handlesection and the upper section, said runner having upper and lower and intermediate positions on the stick, being in said lower position when the handle-section is telescoped in direct contact with the upper section over the tip-section, a spring catch carried on the runner to hold it in intermediate position and permit telescoping of the upper section within the handle, upper and lower spring catches in-the stick to hold the sections in extended position, and an intermediate spring catch arranged to hold said runner in said upper position thereof, said intermediate spring catch being disposed a fixed distance below said top-notch to permit full telescoping of the tip-section and said upper catch within said handle-section.

5. An umbrella stick comprising atubular handle-section, a tubular tip-section, a tubular upper section directly engaging both the handle-section and the tip-section, all three sections telescoping together to reduce the stick'to minimum length without removal of the handle and tip thereof, and to bring practically the entire length of the tip-section and the upper section within the handle-section, a head on-said tip-section, a topnotch fixed on the upper end of the upper section to slide upward on the tip-section, a runner to slide on the handle-section and the upper section, said runner having upper and lower and intermediate positions on the stick, being in said lower position when the handle-section is telescoped in direct contact with the upper section over the tipsection, a spring catch carried on the runner to hold it in intermediate position and permit telescoping of the upper section within the handle, upper and lower spring catches in the stick to hold the sections in extended position, and an intermediate PETER FRANTZ.

Witnesses:

EZRA MATHEW, HARRY F. HERLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

